How many individuals with serious mental illness are in state prisons?
A 2006 survey carried out by the U.S. Department of Justice reported that “an estimated 10 percent of State prisoners…reported symptoms that met criteria for a psychotic disorder.” This survey was based on 2004 data and the situation has gotten worse since then. Thus, 15 percent would appear a conservative estimate.
In 2012 there were 744,524 inmates in county and city jails. If 20 percent of them had a serious mental illness, that would make a total of approximately 149,000 jail inmates with a serious mental illness.
In 2011 there were 1,382,418 inmates in state prisons. If 15 percent of them had a serious mental illness, that would make a total of approximately 207,000 state prison inmates with a serious mental illness.
If the number of jail and state prison inmates with a serious mental illness were added together, they total approximately 356,000 inmates. Since there are only approximately 35,000 individuals with serious mental illness remaining in state mental hospitals, there are now 10 times more individuals with serious mental illness in jails and state prisons than there are in state mental hospitals.
The nation’s jails and prisons have replaced hospitals as the primary facility for mentally ill individuals.
우리나라의 경우 가정 또는 사회 문제를 야기 시키는 분들 중 많은 분들이 보호의무자 입원으로 입원을 합니다. 미국의 경우는 구치소나 교도소로 가겠지요.. 맨 마지막을 보면 이 구치소, 교도소 등의 구금시설이 정신질환자에 대한 주요기관으로 병원을 대체 하고 있다고 합니다. 이건 문제죠? 환자를 위해서라도 제대로된 치료가..
